Papillon

Play trailer

2:25

Papillon

R

2018

2h 13m

Adventure

History

Drama

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

110 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

The epic story of Henri Papillon Charrière, a safecracker from the Parisian underworld who is framed for murder and condemned to life in the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island. Determined to regain his freedom, Papillon forms an unlikely alliance with convicted counterfeiter Louis Dega, who in exchange for protection, agrees to finance Papillon's escape.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Papillon puts its own well-acted, solidly produced spin on a previously adapted tale, although it suffers in comparison to the 1973 version.

Read Critics Reviews

Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

Dec 23, 2018

2/5

Papi's protracted, chaotically paced setbacks begin to feel less like a test of his resilience than the viewer's.

Go to Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

Dec 21, 2018

3/5

But whether taken as a study in human resilience, as an oblique love story, or as an indictment of the French penal system, this drama is claustrophobic and oppressive.

Go to Full Review

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Dec 21, 2018

2/5

The deadening narrative structure (escape, capture, escape, capture etc) eventually overwhelms everything else on screen.

Go to Full Review

Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Aug 19, 2021

76/100

The slapstick and Hollywood set found in the original are swapped out for a more authentic, uncomfortable, and claustrophobic interpretation.

Go to Full Review

Jim Rohner

Battleship Pretension

Apr 14, 2021

It's an impressive sequence, but too little too late and shortly thereafter thoroughly undercut by an unearned saccharine conclusion and bad old age makeup. Papillon may have escaped but the viewer is still punished...

Go to Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Mar 4, 2021

2.5/5

Gets much right and features nice performances from the leads but feels like an unnecessary revamping of the story.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Carla C

@RottenCarla Oct 24, 2026

REALLY GOOD MOVIE HOT ACTOR = bonus good story didn’t like ending but doesn’t ruin the movie

See more

Mutant M

@RT26461386 Aug 29, 2026

It's an intense movie but definitely thrilling.

See more

S. O

@Col._Angus Jul 24, 2026

Remaking a classic is almost impossible. Noer does an admirable job here.

See more

Elizabeth M

@RT66446964 May 19, 2026

It’s one of the best remakes I’ve seen, capturing the original story while feeling unique in its own right. The acting is compelling and natural, bringing the characters to life in a way that feels realistic, even at times hard to watch. The director really understood the objective. I highly recommend watching it if you like the original or the genre.

See more

Keet B

@Keet1963 Dec 29, 2025

This film arrives like a monocle dropped into a bath of irony—steaming, unnecessary, and convinced of its own importance. Shot in resolutely joyless greys, it explores themes of "time," "silence," and "someone staring out of a window for quite a while." The director clearly hates fun and possibly chairs. Dialogue is sparse but meaningful, assuming you enjoy sentences like "We were never here" delivered to a lamp. The soundtrack hums, throbs, and occasionally judges you. Nothing happens, but it happens symbolically. I left the cinema unsure whether I’d witnessed a masterpiece or accidentally paid £14 to be emotionally audited by a scarf.

See more

Faiz D

@RT95588871 May 13, 2025

What a powerful and emotional movie!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Michael Noer

Director

Charlie Hunnam

Henri "Papillon" Charrière

Rami Malek

Louis Dega

Roland Møller

Celier

Nina Senicar

Leper Woman

Tommy Flanagan

Masked Breton

The Birth of a Nation

72%

71%

The Birth of a Nation

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Birth of a Nation

Seberg

36%

49%

Seberg

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Seberg

12 Years a Slave

95%

90%

12 Years a Slave

Watchlist

TRAILER

for 12 Years a Slave

The Devil's Violinist

31%

45%

The Devil's Violinist

Watchlist

Mr. Turner

96%

56%

Mr. Turner

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Papillon: Trailer 1

2:25

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

The epic story of Henri Papillon Charrière, a safecracker from the Parisian underworld who is framed for murder and condemned to life in the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island. Determined to regain his freedom, Papillon forms an unlikely alliance with convicted counterfeiter Louis Dega, who in exchange for protection, agrees to finance Papillon's escape.

Director: Michael Noer
Producer: Roger Corbi, Joey McFarland, Ram Bergman, David Koplan
Screenwriter: Aaron Guzikowski
Distributor: Bleecker Street Media
Production Co: Ram Bergman, FishCorb Films, Joey McFarland
Rating: R (Language|Bloody Images|Nudity|Some Sexual Material|Violence)
Genre: Adventure, History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 24, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 30, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M
Runtime: 2h 13m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings